London Mayor: Press on with Cycle Superhighway 11 plans

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is pressing ahead with plans for Cycle Superhighway 11 between Swiss Cottage and the West End.

Transport for London (TfL) has published the results of its consultation on Cycle Superhighway 11, with 60% of respondents in favour of the new cycle route.

Cycle Superhighway 11 would link with the Central London Grid and other cycling routes across London and was developed in close collaboration with the London Borough of Camden, Westminster City Council and The Royal Parks. According to TfL, the proposed changes to road layouts and junctions would make them safer for pedestrians as well as cyclists and encourage more active travel for people living, working or passing through the area.

Mr Khan said: “Making cycling easier and safer benefits all of us. Cycle Superhighway 11 will play an important role improving the quality of our toxic air, improving Londoners’ health, and make thousands more people feel comfortable cycling. It will link cycling routes in central London to North West London through Camden, making it safer for local people of all ages and backgrounds to make cycling a part of their everyday lives.

“I am determined to learn the lessons from previous cycle superhighway schemes and I’ve asked TfL to continue to work closely with the local councils and stakeholders to ensure we minimise any disruption to motorists and other road users, both during the construction of the scheme and after it’s completed. This includes ensuring changes around Swiss Cottage gyratory benefit car-users who use that busy junction every day. Improving junctions along the busy route will also make the area substantially safer for pedestrians, and we want to continue to work closely with residents as the scheme moves forward.”

On the basis that it is not April 1st, I must assume that the proposal to shut the roads in Regents Park to cars during the rush hour in order to put in CS11 is serious. What about disabled and other people who cannot or do not cycle or car drivers generally who need to use the roads? Do we just put them onto the other, already congested, roads, merely to safeguard cyclists? Maybe something should be done to ensure that cyclists obey the traffic regulations, not go over red traffic lights, not ride on pavements, wear proper hi-vis equipment etc, etc; then there would be less cycling injuries without inconveniencing motorist and pedestrians. Having seen cyclist go over red traffic lights injuring pedestrians and then become abusive I suggest we address the whole problem with a cheaper solution. Dear oh dear, I am still laughing with disbelief.